After the Children’s Miracle Network noted that sick kids were comforted by having a piece of home with them during their hospital stays, RE/MAX knew they wanted to help. As part of the Miracle Home Project, they located three sick kids who were also big fans of building with bricks. Next, they commissioned Playwell Bricks to design custom sets of these kids’ actual homes that they could build and play with in the hospital.

RE/MAX wanted these houses, designed in a dollhouse-style for maximum playability, to match both the exterior AND the interior of the original homes. Designed from photographs and parent feedback, Playwell Bricks is proud to reveal another of these Miracle Homes: Cash’s house.

Playwell Bricks designer John Canepa is happy to talk about his experience designing Cash’s house. “As soon as I saw the house I was to build and saw the beautiful garage door, I thought it would be good to install a mechanism so he could open it with a lever on the side.”

After they saw the garage, RE/MAX asked if John could add a vehicle as well. “The truck was a fun, little challenge. Luckily, the height was just a hair shorter than the height of the garage door when it was open. Phew!”

John tells me he has three rules of brick building: aesthetics, strength, and functionality. “I tested different sections of the build and I found it to be sturdy. Strength – check! The client was pleased with how it looked. Aesthetics – check!

“The parents pointed out which of the interior elements were the most important [to capture in bricks], greatly helping with making the set fun and functional. Functionality – check!”

“I added a dog as similar in looks to the family dog as possible,” John goes on, checking off the details as he goes through the renders of his design. “Cash is a drummer, so we added a full drum kit to his bedroom. I also added a little entrance to get from Cash’s room into the attic, along with a few removable floor sections so Cash could easily access all parts of the build.

“I hope that Cash found the build fun and continues to enjoy the features,” says John.

If you’d like to learn more about the Miracle Home Project, here are some helpful links:

If you’re in need of a custom-designed set for charity, a business milestone, or to provide brand engagement at your next trade show event, contact Playwell Bricks today! Our designers will work with your ideas, gifting goals, and budget to help you build your dreams!